North Country

There’s a public perception that Coos County’s economic challenges mean a significant population loss over the last decade. But a new study shows that’s not quite right. NHPR’s Chris Jensen reports.

Here’s a surprise for Coos County, courtesy of The Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire.

It has just finished  a demographic study of the Northern Forest.

For years the North Country’s Senator - John Gallus (R-Berlin) - has favored turning the Cannon Mountain ski area over to a private firm.  But Gallus says on Wednesday he’ll vote against a bill that would explore the idea.

Gallus says an amendment to Senate Bill 217 by its sponsor – Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) – badly weakened it.

“I’m certainly not going to support it tomorrow,” Gallus  said.

The House is expected to consider repealing same-sex marriage as early as Wednesday and half of 16 North Country representatives have said say they will vote against changing the law.

In October the House Judiciary Committee voted to undo the state’s gay marriage law and replace it with civil union .

The lead sponsor of the bill is Republican David Bates of Windham.

The White Mountain National Forest will be getting $4 million in federal funds to repair road and bridge damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene.  But that will still leave the enormous recreational area well short of what it needs, an official said.

It is still a bit of good news for the economy of the North Country.

Some of the work will be done by WMNF crews but help from outside contractors will be needed, said Tiffany Benna, a spokeswoman for the WMNF.

The money is available from the Federal Highway Administration, said spokesman Doug Hecox.

North Country representatives overwhelmingly voted in favor of House Bill 1405 which would allow jurisdictions such as Manchester to ask for a moratorium on refugee resettlement.

As NHPR reported: “Under the bill New Hampshire towns could ask for a one-year moratorium on new refugee resettlements, which opponents say the state doesn’t have the authority to do.”

Eight North Country representatives voted Wednesday against House Bill 1659, a bill that the Associated Press reported would make pregnant women wait 24 hours and certify they had been given information on fetal development before getting an abortion.

Five North Country representatives voted for the bill and three were excused from voting.

As NHPR reported the House on Wednesday passed a so-called right-to-work bill. Barring unions from requiring non-members to pay for representation has been a priority for House Republican leaders.

The bill passed 198 to 139.

It now goes to the Senate.

Four North Country reps voted in favor and eight against.

Here are the North Country reps who voted in favor:

* Duffy Daugherty (Republican) of Colebrook.

* Edmond Gionet (Republican) of Lincoln.

Three representatives from the North Country voted not to kill House Bill 1264 which would have allowed “an individual to choose not to provide accommodations, goods, or services for a marriage if doing so would violate his or her conscience or religious faith.”

It was proposed by Rep. Jerry Bergevin, a Republican from Hillsborough.

Two of three North Country towns yesterday approved an ordinance designed to fight the Northern Pass project by trying to strip corporations of their power.

Lancaster, Sugar Hill and Easton all had the same idea: An ordinance that would assert a town’s rights over those of corporations.

The idea is to prevent large corporations – such as those behind the Northern Pass project – from using the legal muscle given them by U.S. Supreme Court decisions.